Dental practitioners use ultrasonic dental tools (instruments) for dental treatments and procedures, such as scaling, periodontal treatments, root canal therapy, and the like. An ultrasonic dental tool typically includes a handpiece coupled at one end (i.e., a proximal end) to an electrical energy source and a fluid source via a cable. The cable includes a hose to provide a fluid (e.g., water), and conductors to provide electrical energy.
The other end (i.e., a distal end) of the handpiece has an opening intended to receive a replaceable insert with a transducer (e.g., a magnetostrictive transducer) carried on the insert. The transducer extends from a proximal end of the insert into a hollow interior of the handpiece. An ultrasonically vibrated tip extends from a distal end of the insert.
Since a mouth is a small space in which to work, it is often difficult to see well into all regions of the mouth under the best of conditions. When a dental practitioner cannot see clearly in the field of work, it is more likely that painful slips can occur. The often sharp implements, vibrating at ultrasonic frequencies, can do considerable harm to soft tissue (such as gum tissue) resulting in bleeding and pain.
The large and focused lamp that hangs over the field of work while the dental practitioner uses ultrasonic dental tools in the patient's mouth often becomes obscured when the dental practitioner leans closely toward the patient to work in confined spaces within the mouth. The suddenly darker field is more difficult in which to work accurately. Small slips and injuries can result.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an ultrasonic dental tool that can bring light directly into the field of work (i.e., patient's mouth). If such light can be provided using a source of energy already available in existing ultrasonic dental tools, circuit complexity and energy requirements can be reduced.